Surgical cup impactors exist in the art that assist a surgeon in controlling implantation of a cup prosthesis. A typical impactor has an impactor body, a drive train assembly, an impactor nose, and a clamping handle. The impactor body has on its proximal end, an impaction plate connected thereto, and an impactor handle formed thereon for handling by the surgeon and, on the distal end, an impactor cup support portion having a receiver recess therein. A drive train assembly used in such an impactor typically has a prosthesis engaging interface at a distal end thereof, and a proximal end on which a positioning knob is formed. The assembly is typically received and rotatably mounted in the receiver recess of the body so as to expose the prosthesis engaging surface through an impactor nose. A clamping handle pulls the proximal portion of the drive train assembly and, because the cup prosthesis is engaged with the engaging interface, clamps any cup prosthesis attached to the engaging interface against the impactor nose so as not to strain the proximal end of the drive train assembly. Typically, therefore, the entire drive train is pulled by the clamping handle, which results in considerable strain. The universal joint often fails due to this strain, which may result in inconvenience to the patient via complications in the surgical procedure.
What is needed therefore is a means which prevents the pulling on the universal joint or universal joints of the drive train assembly in order to promote the reliability and durability of the tool and thereby minimize complications to the patient.